Improvement in coal-oil lamps



c. F.'SPENCER.

Coal Oil Lamp. M N 7, 86. Patented March 24, 1863. g

Kai-"166565 -nvwar ney, and their connecting parts detached from UNITED STATES CHARLES F. SPENCER, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN COAL-OIL LAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,986, dated March 24, 1863.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. SPENCER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of N e York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l is an elevation of my improved lamp, with the cap, deflector, and a portion of the chimney in section, the deflector and chimney being represented in place over the wick; Fig. 2, an elevation of the cap,deflector,ehimthe lamp-body, and showing the deflector and chimney turned back from over the wick Fig. 3, a view showing the manner of attaching the shank to the deflector; Fig. 4, a horizontal cross-section of the wick-tube, shank, and guide; Fig. 5, a view representing a modification of the shank and guide.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in the arrangement and combination ofcertain parts connecting the deflector and chimney with the wick'tube and cap in such a manner that the former two may be raised and turned away to one side from over the wick, so that it may be lighted or trimmed, and so that when shut together with the deflector and chimney in place over the wick the whole shall be firm, compact, and not liable to become turned to one side or disarranged by accident.

The lamp-body A and chimney B are of ordinary construction, and likewise the cap G and deflector D, except that the ornamental flange a, which sustains the chimney, instead of being attached to the cap, is secured to the deflector. The chimney, therefore,is attached to the deflector, and both are independent of the cap, only resting on and being supported by it when covering the wick. This is for the purpose of entirely uncovering the wick when the chimney is turned back, as will presently be described. This manner of securing the chimney and deflector together is known in other devices.

The wick-tube F is of ordinary shape and length and secured in the cap in the usual manner.

I connect the deflector and chimney with the wick-tube as follows: To the inside of the deflector at a suitable point is secured, by soldering, riveting, or otherwise, a flat shank, b, or equivalent shape, of suitable size for the purpose designed, and which is bent, as reprcsented in Fig. 3, to bring the vertical portion in the proper position, and is then extended downward a suitable length, passing through or being connected with a guide, G, preferably forming a socket of the same shape in cross-section, Fig. 4, of proper lengthto furnish the proper bearing, and soldered or otherwise secured to the side of tho wick-tube, as represented in the drawings. In the use of the guide, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, it is provided with a vertical slot, (7, in its outer side, usually extending from its bottom nearly but not quite to the top, and in this slot, when the shank is raised or lowered, slides a joint-pin, f, secured to and projecting [mm the face of the shank, as shown. In this case, the shank is rounded on one or both corners so as to allow the chimney to turn back, either one side or both, when raised, and to allow the same action the top of the guide is notched sufficiently deep on the side to per mit the shank to fall into it the proper depth, as shown at g, Fig. 4. It is obvious that this arrangement will admit of various slight modifications without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. For instance, the shank b may be provided with a vertical slot fitting over pins forming the guide G, arranged in a vertical line, the lower end of the slot being made concentric or curved for the purpose of allowing the shank to turn when raised, as in Fig.5; or by the use of an ordinary hinge the shank may be made to turn at right angles to instead of parallelwith the flat side of the wick-tube; or, instead of the use of the slot at and pin f, as at first described, a simple hinge may be used in the shank, with a portion of the shank extending below the hinge to hold in the socket when raised. The same essential result is accomplished by the use of these modificationsnamely,.the holding of the shank firmly in place when lowered, and forming a joint and allowing it to turn when raised.

The advantages of the above-described arrangement are obvious. When the shank is lowered with the chimney over the wick, it is rigidly sustained against any side movement whatever by means of the long bearing furnished it by the guide G, and therefore the chimney cannot be thrown over or displaced by an accidental pressure, as is always the case where the chimney-support is hinged to the cap outside the burner, there being nothing to prevent this action in such devices. When the shank is raised sufficiently high to free it of its bearing, it forms a hinge or joint and turns readily and easily to one side, so as to leave the wick entirely free and unobstructed, and can be easily trimmed or lighted and when thus turned over the chimney rests closely to the lamp instead of being thrown back a considerable distance, thus lessening the liability of the lamp being overturned by the leverage. The compactness of the arrangement is also a great advantage. The

parts are all situated within instead of with out the burner, and therefore there are no projections and bearings outside, as is the case where-levers and fulcrums are employed.

' The device is very simple and the costis very small, being only nominal, while the parts cannot easily become disarranged.

I do not claim elevating and turning the chimney and deflector horizontally; but

What I do claim as my invention, and de- CHAS. F. SPENCER Witnesses J. FRASER, R. F. OSGOOD. 

